A Last Breath
by Moonlit Demise
Summary: When a she-cat gives birth, her mate has problems thinking that the kits are his. Horrid summery, but I couldn't give it a bigger one because this is a one-shot. Hope you like it! -Moonlit Demise (The second chapter is not included in the summary! I guess you'll just have to read it to find out what it is about! :) BTW, this is my first story on here.)
1. Chapter 1

**A last breathe, a Last Word**

A silver tabby lay on her side, her flanks heaving. "You're nearly there, Feather. You can do this; I know you can my love."

Feather let out a loud yowl of pain, as another spasm passed through her body. Her claws tore up the grass, and the tom began to get worried. _The kits should be here by now!_ He thought.

Suddenly a kit slid out onto the yellow grass. It was a silver tabby like his mother. "Can we name him…Strike?" Feather asked her mate in between breathes.

"Yes, yes of course," the black tom meowed happily. "Anything you want darling.

Another ripple passed through the she-cat and a tiny gray she-cat slid out onto the cold leaf bare ground. "C-Can I name her?" the black tom inquired gazing down at his beautiful daughter.

"Ye…" Feather began to reply, but yet another spasm passed through her belly.

"I'll name her… let's see," he bent down to lick her fur clean. "Stormy!"

"Yes, Stormy." Feather mewed panting as the last kit lay down on the grass. The kit was ginger, not silver, not black, but ginger.

"That's weird, why is this kit ginger?" the black tom asked his mate.

"I-I don't know, Knight!" Feather breathed out in an exhausted meow.

The wind blew through the tree tops and made the leaves whisper. Suddenly, a brown tabby tom bounded into the small hollow. "I heard that you were having kits. I came as soon as I could. I'm so glad that I'm going to have new kin." He meowed.

"Thank you for coming, brother, but I think that I have lost too much blood to stay." Feather mewed sadly.

The brown tabby's mouth fell open, "No, you have to stay! Please don't leave me…"

Feather let out a faint purr. "I will never leave you, because I will always be in your heart. Please don't grieve too long, Grass."

Grass' head fell to his chest in exhaustion (from his long run) and from grievance. "B-but can't you hang on a little longer?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course," Feather meowed. "I still have a little while left to be with you." She added.

The three cats lay still for a moment, until Knight broke the silence with a loud, happy, purr, "Look at the kits! They're sleeping."

"Yes, they are but if you aren't quiet they'll wake up." Feather mewed in an exhausted tone.

Knight nodded and looked up at the sapphire blue sky. He opened his mouth to speak, but a ginger tom burst into the hollow breathing heavily. "Is Feather okay?" he asked.

Once again Knight opened his mouth for a loud retort, but Feather brushed her tail against his mouth. Feather miraculously got to her feet and meowed, "I am fine, Fireclaw. I am fine."

Knight turned to his mate with a look of horror on his face, "F-Feather, are these kits... his?"

Feather hung her head and whispered something to Fireclaw to the effect that he nodded and strode out of the cozy hollow. Feather turned herself until she was looking at Knight, who was looking at the kits and back at his mate. "No, Knight. They are F-Fireclaw's. I'm sorry Knight. You can still raise them as you're own, though."

Knight got a wild look in his eyes and hissed. "No, I can't! Let stupid Fireclaw raise em'. I hate you Feather... I HATE YOU!" he growled as he sprang at her.

Knight's claws ripped into her throat and Feather whispered her last two words, "I'm sorry...". Knight looked down at his former mate, the anger dieing down in his eyes, "What have I done? WHAT HAVE I DONE?" then he ran across the hollow and up the sides into the cool forest.

Feather's brother licked her head and said, "Tell mother that Mudpelt says he misses her." Then he, to, left the hollow.

A/N: I might make this a two-shot, so tell me if I should in the reviews! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Knight leapt out of the hollow, his heart ripping in two. He had killed his mate, and the kits were that Fireclaw cat's. When had _they_ become mates?

Knight heard a cat's paws thundering behind him and quickened his pace. The brown tabby behind him allowed his own paw steps to plow on faster than they had been before. Suddenly, Knight remembered that the brown tabby was Feather's brother, Mudpelt. He defiantly didn't want him to catch up!

Knight ran until his lungs burnt too horribly to go on. He had lost Mudpelt far back, but had gone on running. Knight was afraid that Mudpelt would find him and kill him.

His green eyes darted around, searching for any sign of an intruder. When he found none he curled up between the roots of a tree, and fell fast asleep.

_He was running through a dense forest. Someone was chasing him, waiting to kill him. His lungs were ready to burst from pressure and his legs ached. His vision was spinning and Knight toppled over. _

_Paw steps thundered near his head and halted beside him. He smelt the sweet breath of Feather… the cat he had murdered. As if sensing his thoughts she said, "I forgive you…" then everything melted away into darkness._

Knight woke to the sound of birds chirping in the trees, and the grass rustling in a faint breeze. The day seemed perfect until he remembered the events of the day before. Pain stabbed at his heart, and he pushed it away. He couldn't give in to the lulling sadness that had crept into him the moment after Feather's death.

Sullenly he pushed himself up. There was an indent in the soft grass where he had lain whilst he slept.

All of a sudden, the memory of his dream came rushing back. Feather had forgiven him! He was free of the guilt. Happiness mixed with a smudge of surprise flooded his senses, and his step became higher.

Mudpelt ran after Knight filled with rage. The black cat had _murdered_ his sister. Feather had been so young… so naïve. She had her whole life ahead of her! But that _stupid_ Knight had killed her in cold blood. _May his body be strewn about the forest!_ Mudpelt thought.

Knight disappeared ahead of him, and Mudpelt lost his scent in a patch of garlic. He pressed his nose to the damp earth in a vain attempt to recover Knight's scent. "Fox-dung, that mouse-heart got away." He cursed. _For now…_ he added in his mind.

Knight squeezed through a small opening in a two-leg fence. Maybe this two-leg would be kind, and allow him to live with it. Knight had always used to despise the life of a house cat before then, but easy food and shelter sounded good right then.

The door to the two-leg den opened a sliver, and Knight put on a 'poor kitten' face and meowed. The two-leg made a sympathetic sound and opened the door wider. Knight rushed into the yellow-lit den and licked his fur. The two-leg came towards him, and he stretched up to meet the pink paw that reached for him. The two-leg stroked his back, and Knight was surprised that it actually felt kind of… good.

Knight decided to name his two-leg Feather, in honor of his former mate. It pained him every time me mewed the name, but it helped him keep the pretty silver tabby alive in his heart.

Knight decided to stay with the older female two-leg. She was kind and caring, and she didn't feed him the dry pellets for food. Rather, his 'bowl' held meat in tasty gravy stuff. This was his home now… _his_ home.

**A/N: Thanks to anyone who reviews! I hope that you liked this two-shot, and I believe that you all should have a good day! Ta-ta!**


	3. Chapter 3

What Happened afterwards?

Mudpelt went back to ThunderClan.

Fireclaw went back to ThunderClan.

Knight lived with his two-leg.

Feather went to StarClan (she was a former ThunderClan cat, but she ran away).

Mudpelt went back to get the kits, and found them starving, but alive.

Everything went back to normal.


End file.
